Overnight Lower Seti River Rafting with Kids

As part of a 2 week itinerary in Nepal, we were scheduled to spend two days rafting the Seti River with Rainbow Adventures Nepal, including one night tent camping on a beach on the riverbank.  Of all the adventures planned for us in Nepal, this is the one that we had the least information about.  We didn’t know what level rapids we would be rafting.  We didn’t know what we would be eating.  We didn’t really know what to bring with us.  We didn’t know how long we would be rafting.  We didn’t know what type of tents we would be staying in and, having seen the general state of Nepal's heavily polluted waterways, we were very nervous about the quality of the water we would be rafting on.  Having only two days to recuperate after our Annapurna Poon hill Trek, we were all still a little mentally and physically exhausted.  Additionally, to set the tone for the trip, I woke up at 4:00 AM the morning we were heading off for white water rafting with an acute case of food poisoning.  Despite all of this, we packed an overnight duffle bag and headed for the launching point in Damauli.  Read on for information that I wish I had before the trip.

The Launch from Damauli:

We picked up our rafting guide in Damauli and headed for the launch point just downstream of the hydroelectric dam outside of Damauli.  The launch point was a gravel area where several local women were washing clothes in the Seti River.  Our guide gave us a brief safety run down and outfitted us with life jackets, paddles, and helmets.  The guide had a small life jacket for Gus but the other life jackets and helmets were one size fits all, which meant the life jackets were too big for Bailey and I and the helmets were too big for Bailey and Gus.  If I had known this, I would have worked on finding helmets to fit them, at the very least.  The boat was loaded down with all of our equipment for camping and cooking.  In addition to our guide, we had a cook, an extra paddler and helper on the boat, and a kayaker to lead the way and help with rescues.  With our family of five, this meant that space was tight on the raft, but we made it work.

The Lower Set River:

Compared to other waterways in Nepal and other sections of the Seti river, this section of the river is relatively clean.  A complete lack of waste removal is one of the biggest problems in Nepal and you will still see the consequences of this along your rafting trip, but it isn’t as bad as other areas.  This section of the river predominantly winds through more rural areas with very little surrounding development.

The rafting consists of several class II and a few class III rapids on the first day.  There was one technical rapid on the first day that required several turns within the rapid.  The remaining rapids had some big waves and a few obstacles but were not too technical.  The river is fast enough to be interesting but not so difficult that it feels dangerous.  There are multiple flat areas and beaches along the way that provide opportunities for swimming. The second day had more class III rapids and the rafting was generally more fast-moving the second day.

The Duration of the Nepal Rafting Trip:

We rafted approximately 5 hours the first day with a stop for lunch and about 2 hours the second day.  The total length of the trip is 35 km.

The Food and Water on the Seti River Rafting Trip:

Compared to other experiences that cater to tourists in Nepal, this is the first experience where our guides didn’t seem to understand that we could not drink the water in Nepal or eat anything uncooked that had been touched by anything but bottled water.  Additionally, our family ate a vegetarian diet in Nepal and there was no chance for us to communicate this need with our guide before our departure.  As a result, there were some major issues with food on the trip.  The guide and cook washed the dishes with untreated river water and washed the veggies with tap water in a plastic jug.  Unfortunately, we had to decline the majority of the food they offered us at lunch, which was all uncooked, and explain to them why we could not eat the food.  They seemed extremely concerned by this and I felt very bad disappointing them.  If I wasn’t already experiencing the effects of food poisoning myself, I might have just let everyone eat the food, but, knowing how horrible I was feeling, I didn’t want everyone else to be sick as well.  After communicating our food and water needs, they completely redeemed themselves with some amazing fried cauliflower, onion soup, dal Bhat and rice for dinner. 

The second thing I wish I would have known is that we needed to bring our own water.  Since they had brought only a small amount of tap water to drink, we were short on drinking water.  We had our water bottles with built-in filters, but I was nervous, even with the filter, to drink from the Seti river downstream of Pokhara.  If I had known there would be no clean water, I would have bought a large jug of water for us.  Luckily, there was a man selling bottled beverages at our camping spot and we were able to get water, sodas, and beer.  

The Guides on the Seti River:

Overall, our guide did a great job of controlling the boat and communicating instructions with us.  He was a strong paddler that knew what he was doing on the river.  His English was very limited and none of the other guides or the cook spoke any English.  Dicey communication aside, they worked very hard to give us the best experience possible and were extremely focused on our experience and happiness.

Camping on the Seti River:

The guides completely set up and took down the camp for us.  We had two basic A frame tents with simple foam mats and decent sleeping bags.  The camping spot is on a wide flat beach located at a bend in the river.  They also set up a toilet tent, which consisted of a canvas tent with a hole dug into the beach.  They did bring toilet paper and filled in the hole and took down the tent when we left.  Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time in the toilet tent.  We were sharing the beach with one other group of rafters.  It would have been nice to have it to ourselves, but they were respectful and shared well.  

The Take Out at Gaighat:

You will finish the river and take out your raft in Gaighat in a spot where there is a boat launch.  There is no place to change or use the restroom at the take out and we had to make our own changing areas with towels.  We headed on to Chitwan from here, which was a crazy winding three hour drive.  If you are heading back to Pokhara, it is also a 3ish hour drive from Gaighat.  

What We Liked About Rafting on the Seti River:

1. The rafting itself was a great level for an adventurous family with kids.  The river is much more dangerous during monsoon season but the speed is perfect at other times.

2. The camping.  This was one of the quietest nights we spent in Nepal, which is otherwise filled with the incessant barking of stray dogs.  The beach was lovely and we had the perfect weather for a night of camping.  

3. The dinner.  After a serious snafu at lunch, our cook pulled together an amazing meal for dinner while cooking on an open fire on a beach in the middle of nowhere.

What We Didn’t Like About Rafting on the Seti River:

1. The communication before the trip was very poor.  It would have been nice to have more detailed information about what we were getting into, what we needed to bring, and what our food requirements were.

2. Despite the fact that this is one of the cleaner sections of waterways in Nepal, there was still a lot of trash and pollution.

3. The raft was a little cramped.  We saw another rafting company that had two separate rafts, one for passengers and a second one for gear.  As we sat cramped between the edge of the raft and the gear barrels, we were definitely feeling a little jealous.  It would have been nice to have a separate gear raft.

4. There was no shade on the beach and it was very hot at the end of rafting.  This fact contributed to me nearly dying of food poisoning that night, but I pulled through.  A sun shade would have been nice.

What to bring when Rafting the Seti River:

Change of clothes for camp and for rafting the next day. 

Water and water filtration device.

Headlamps

Snacks

Sunscreen and bug spray

Soap for washing hands and/or face

Hand sanitizer

Dry bag for cell phones and valuables you want to keep with you on the boat

Water shoes for the boat

Slippers or sneakers for the evening

Cards or other easily packable game for the evening

Battery pack for phones

Helmet and life jacket for children

Sunglasses and/or hat 

Cash for tipping and drinks at camp

Summary of Our Seti River Rafting with Kids

Overall this was a unique and cool experience that we all mostly enjoyed.  If I hadn’t been dying of food poisoning for most of the trip, I am sure I would have loved it. Even with food poisoning, I could appreciate this as a nice respite from the cities in Nepal and some very pleasurable rafting and riverside camping.  Like almost everyone we met in Nepal, our guide was very in tuned to our needs and concerned with our comfort and happiness. If you are looking for something different, give rafting the Lower Seti river a try!

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